The 9th September 2855 was the end of the Siege of Sevastopol where the Russians evacuated Sevastopol and the British and French finally attained their target. On the 29th February 1856, armistice in the Crimea meant it was a British, French and Ottoman victory. On the 30th March 1856, The Treaty of Paris was formed which settled the Crimean War. Russia regained the land that had been occupied; the Black Sea was neutralised for open international trade. The treaty marked a severe setback to Russian influence in the region.
Individuals
Lord Cardigan was initially perceived as a hero after the Charge of the Light Brigade after he charged out ahead of his troops. He was later accused of deserting the Brigade at a crucial moment of the battle and of incompetence in relation to his failure to distribute provisions in Balaclava.
Lord Lucan received most of the blame for the Charge. He was accused of implementing an order he knew to be senseless and of failing to seek proper clarification of it.
Lord Raglan died in the Crimea in June 1855 and was held responsible for many of the problems of leadership and organisation during the Crimean campaign.
Changes in Britain
Nightingale's work and her iconic status helped to establish nursing as a respectable profession for women. Her name was used to raise funds to establish nursing training; £45000 was raised by 1859.St Thomas' Hospital in London established a training school for ten nurses in 1860. Nightingale used her statistical work on mortality rates to illustrate the need for sanitary reform in all military hospitals; in 1857 a Royal Commision on the Health of the Army was set up.One military development after the Crimean war was the establishment of the Victoria Cross in 1856, the highest award for bravery in the British Army. The Victoria Cross embodied the new, more meritocratic approach in the British Army as soldiers of any rank could receive it. The Cardwell Army Reforms (1870-1871) were introduced and involved:
- Purchase of commision was abolished: promotion in the British Army was now through merit.
- Conditions for ordinary soldiers were improved: the period of overseas service was reduced from twelve years to six; pay was increased and flogging was abolished in peacetime.
- The structure of army organisation was simplified and combined under the responsibility of the War Office.
- The Commander in Chief of the army was made responsible to the Secretary of War and through him, to Parliament.
- The country was divided into local regimental districts and each area had two battalions. One would stay at home to train and the other could be sent overseas.
The move to a more meritocratic system in Britain following the Crimean War also extended to the Civil Service where, during Gladstone's first administration (1868-1874), all departments except for the Foreign Office adopted a system of recruiting by competitive examination.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_(1856)
